As with their previous release, Grinning Streak, the band continues a steady drift toward a more pop-oriented sound. Percussion is stripped down throughout, crafted to be something simple you might dance to. There's occasional experimentation with echo, reverb, and other vocal effects. The guitar is often loaded up with distortion and crunch.
There's a bit of a retreat from the rapid-fire lyrics that characterized some of their greatest hits. There are still some dense songs, but delivered at a noticeably slower tempo (such as "Globetrot"). There is a bit of expected Ed Robertson patter in "Matter of Time," the most classically Barenaked Ladies song on the album. And clever wordplay is featured throughout, perhaps most noticeably on "Piece of Cake."
They've put most of the best material right up front on this album. It opens with the celebratory "Get Back Up," a straight-to-the-point but uplifting tune about resilience. "Here Before" showcases Kevin Hearn's piano skills in a great way, as he plays around in the space between the rock anthem beat. (Then there's the aforementioned "Matter of Time," with its dark lyrics camouflaged by a bouncy and playful melody.)
Among the less characteristic songs on the album is "Duck Tape Heart," a fun but strange song that sounds vaguely like a Taylor Swift song and vaguely like a Weezer song. (And it has a catchy crowd vocal hook in the bridge.) "Hold My Hand" plays with stereo panning, putting one guitar in each speaker. Bassist Jim Creegan's contribution to the album, "Narrow Streets," is also a bit off the norm.
It may be that the band's favorite songs in this batch are some of the weaker ones. The title track, "Silverball," is almost at the end of the album, and is oddly low energy to provide the name for the entire collection. The album's lead single, "Say What You Want," is also quite low key -- though it at least showcases the multi-part harmonies the band does so well.
But the truly lowest points are, yet again, the Kevin Hearn songs. He's a fantastic musician (great on the piano, and skilled on several other instruments), but his voice and his songwriting always grate on me. "Passcode" isn't too bad (though it sounds rather like a theme from a 1980s sitcom), but "Tired of Fighting with You" is a terrible capper to the album, a trite and dull tune with a childish rhyme scheme.
Overall, I'd say the album is touch more consistent than Grinning Streak. And I appreciate the attempts at trying some different things without straying too far from the sound their fans love. I give Silverball a B, and I'm looking forward to the show tonight.
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